Shelf with adjustable bookends



y 9, 1967 G. M. DONLIN 3,318,454

SHELF WITH ADJUSTABLE BOOKENDS Filed June 15, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I? f 22 /;a

J 1 E Gerald M. Don/in IN VENTOR.

WWW -Megq,

May 9, 1967 G. M. DONLIN SHELF WITH ADJUSTABLE BOOKENDS Filed June 15, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Gerald M. Don/in INVENTOR.

United States Patent 3,318,454 SHELF WITH ADJUSTABLE BOOKENDS Gerald M. Donlin, 701 7th Ave. N., St. Cloud, Minn. 56301 Filed June 15, 1966, Ser. No. 557,731 2 Claims. (Cl. 21143) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in book shelves, and the principal object of the invention is to provide a shelf in combination with a pair of bookends which are adjustable toward and away from each other to accommodate a variable number and thickness of books therebetween.

As such, the shelf of the invention with its associated bookends is a unitary entity, one of its important features being that although the bookends are slidable on the shelf for purposes of adjustment, they cannot be readily separated therefrom and are thus prevented from becoming disarranged or misplaced.

However, as another of its features, the invention provides means for separating the bookends from the shelf under a certain condition, which requires each bookend to be slid from one end of the shelf fully or at least partially toward the opposite end before its separation may be effected.

The device of the invention is simple in construction, durable, convenient in use, pleasing in appearance, and adaptable to economical manufacture.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a shelf with adjustable bookends showing one embodiment of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary, end portion thereof;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view, taken substantially in the plane of the line 33 in FIG- URE 2;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary cross-sectional detail, taken substantially in the plane of the line 4-4 in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 5 is an underside one of the bookend members with its associated guide;

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view illustrating a modified embodiment of the invention;

enlarged plan view of one perspective view showing FIGURE 7 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional view,

taken substantially in the plane of the line 77 in FIG- URE 6;

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary, enlarged plan view of one end portion of the embodiment of FIGURE 6; and

FIGURE 9 is a cross-sectional view, taken substantially in the plane of the line 99 in FIGURE 8.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, more particularly to FIGURES l-4 thereof, the invention comprises a shelf with adjustable bookends, designated generally by the reference numeral '10. The same consists of a horizontally elongated shelf panel 11 which is provided in its upper surface with a pair of spaced parallel, longitudinally coextensive grooves 12, 13. It will be observed that the grooves 12, 13 terminate at closed ends 14, spaced longitudinally inwardly from the ends of the shelf panel 11. Also, the grooves are undercut, as for example by having upwardly convergent side edges as shown in FIGURE 4, although it will be understood that in place of such convergent side edges, the undercut grooves may have an inverted T- shaped cross-section, or the like.

The grooves 12, 13 slidably receive therein elongated guides 16, 17 respectively, the guides having a cross-section corresponding to the undercut grooves so as to prevent upward lifting and removal of the guides from the grooves, yet facilitate longitudinal sliding of the guides.

A pair of upstanding and opposed bookend members 18, 19 are movable toward and away from each other along the shelf panel 11, the bookend member 19 being secured to one end portion of the guide 17 by asuitable fastener 20 as exemplified in FIGURE 5, while the bookend member 18 is similarly secured to one end portion of the guide 16. It will be apparent from the foregoing that the guides 16, 17 serve to maintain the bookend members 18, 19 in an upright position, they also effectively guide the bookend members in their movement toward and away from each other along the shelf panel, and moreover, since the guides cannot be lifted from the undercut grooves, separation of the bookend members from the shelf panel is prevented.

If desired, a pad .21 of suitable material such as felt, or the like, may be provided on the base of each bookend member 18, 19, so as to prevent the same from scratching the surface of the shelf member 11 when the bookend members are slid along the shelf.

Means are provided for facilitating separation of the bookend members with their associated guides from the shelf panel when so desired, but only under a given condition as will be hereinafter explained. Such means involve the provision of what may be referred to as a widened end portion 12a, 13a, at the respective opposite ends of the grooves 12, 13. This widened end portion is formed by recessing or relieving the undercut at least on one side of the groove as indicated at 22, whereby that portion of the groove is wider at the top than the remaining portion of the groove where the side edges 15 are convergent. The arrangement is such that when the guide of the book member is slid longitudinally into the widened end portion of the groove, the guide may be lifted out of the groove to thereby separate the bookend member from the shelf panel.

However, it is to be particularly noted that the widened end portion of each groove is adjacent that end of the shelf panel toward which the bookend member in that groove must he slid in order to move the same toward the bookend member in the other groove. That is to say, the bookend member 18 on the right ,end portion of the shelf panel (see FIG. 1) has its guide 16 in the groove 12 and the widened end portion 12a of the groove 12 is located at the left end portion of the shelf panel. Conversely, the bookend member 19 on the left end portion of the shelf panel has its guide 17 in the grOOVe 13, the widened portion 13a of which is at the right end portion of the panel.

If it is desired to separate the bookend members from the shelf panel, one of the members, for example the member 19, is slid as far as possible to the left end of the groove 13 as viewed in FIGURE 1, and the right hand member 18 is slid against the member 19. This places the guide 16 of the member 18 in the widened portion 12a of the groove 12 so that the member 18 may be separated from the shelf. The member 19 is then slid from the left end of the shelf to the right end so that the guide 17 of the member 19 enters the widened portion 13a of the groove 13 and separation of the member 19 from the shelf is facilitated.

It will be recognized that when the bookend members are in their normal, book supporting positions as shown in FIGURE 1, they cannot be separated from the shelf panel until the books are removed and each bookend member is slid from its end of the panel to the opposite end, as already described.

The accompanying FIGURES 69 inclusive illustrate a modified embodiment of the invention designated generally by the reference numeral 30. In this embodiment the shelf panel 31 is provided in its upper surface with only one longitudinally extending, undercut groove 32, terminating at closed ends 33 spaced longitudinally inwardly from the ends of the shelf panel.

The bookend members 18, 19 with their respective guides 16, 17, are. of the same construction as those a1- ready described in connection with the embodiment 10, so

the guide at the bottom of the bookend member may be lifted from the widened groove portion 32a.

It will be appreciated in this regard the center portion containing the widened groove portion 32a is normally covered by books and that the guides 16, 17 are in the undercut restricted portions of the groove at the opposite sides of the widened portion 32a, whereby the bookend members are prevented from separationfrom the shelf panel until each bookend member'is slid to the center of the shelf.

The undercut groove may be machined directly in the material, although if preferred the undercut groove may be formed in a strip of plastic, metal or the like, embedded in the upper surface of the shelf panel as illustrated at 34 in FIGURES 7 and 9. The strip may be conveniently formed in a running length, as by extrusion and cut to the required length prior to its embedding, so that machining of the undercut groove in the shelf panel itself is unnecessary. Of course any suitable means such as adhesive, for example, may be utilized to'securely fasten the strip 34 in the shelf.

Although the arrangement of the grooved insert '34 has been shown only in connection with the embodiment 30 of FIGURES 6-9, it may be also utilized in the grooves 12, 13 of the embodiment in FIGURES 1-5.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention, Further, .since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and 4 equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim:

1. A shelf with adjustable bookends, comprising in combination a horizontally elongated shelf panel provided in its upper surface with a pair-ofspaced parallel and longitudinally coextensive undercut grooves, said grooves terminating at closed ends spaced longitudinally inwardly from the ends of said shelf panel, and a pair of upstanding and opposing bookend members movable toward and away from each other on said shelf panel, said bookend members being provided at the bottom thereof with guides slidable longitudinally in the respective grooves, said guides having across-section corresponding to the undercut grooves, whereby to prevent removal of the guides from the grooves and separation of the bookend members from the shelf panel, said widened end portions being located at the respective opposite ends of said grooves.

2. A shelf with adjustable bookends, comprising in combination a horizontally elongated shelf panel provided in its upper surface with a pair of spaced parallel and longitudinally coextensive undercut grooves, saidgrooves terminating at closed ends spaced longitudinally inwardly from the ends of said shelf panel, and a pair of upstanding and opposing bookend members movable toward and away from each other on said shelf panel, said bookend members being provided at the bottom thereof with guides slidable longitudinally in the respective grooves, said guides having a cross -section corresponding to the undercut grooves, whereby to prevent removal of the guides from the grooves and separation of the bookend members from the shelf panel, said widened end portions being located at the respective opposite ends of said grooves, the widened end portion of each groove being adjacent that end of the shelf panel toward which the bookend member in'that groove must be slid in order to move the same toward the bookend member in the other groove. 7

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,237,101 8/1917 Ryan 211-43 1,336,981 4/1920 Schimmel '211-43 2,206,133 7/1940 Stoll 211--43 7 2,684,765 7/1954 Lowenstein 21 1-43 3,142,3 84 7/ 1964 Fridolph 211-43 CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner. 

1. A SHELF WITH ADJUSTABLE BOOKENDS, COMPRISING IN COMBINATION A HORIZONTALLY ELONGATED SHELF PANEL PROVIDED IN ITS UPPER SURFACE WITH A PAIR OF SPACED PARALLEL AND LONGITUDINALLY COEXTENSIVE UNDERCUT GROOVES, SAID GROOVES TERMINATING AT CLOSED ENDS SPACED LONGITUDINALLY INWARDLY FROM THE ENDS OF SAID SHELF PANEL, AND A PAIR OF UPSTANDING AND OPPOSING BOOKEND MEMBERS MOVABLE TOWARD AND AWAY FROM EACH OTHER ON SAID SHELF PANEL, SAID BOOKEND MEMBERS BEING PROVIDED AT THE BOTTOM THEREOF WITH GUIDES SLIDABLE LONGITUDINALLY IN THE RESPECTIVE GROOVES, SAID GUIDES HAVING A CROSS-SECTION CORRESPONDING TO THE UNDERCUT GROOVES, WHEREBY TO PREVENT REMOVAL OF THE GUIDES FROM THE GROOVES AND SEPARATION OF THE BOOKEND MEMBERS FROM THE SHELF PANEL, SAID WIDENED END PORTIONS BEING LOCATED AT THE RESPECTIVE OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID GROOVES. 